Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

RUFUS GOODSTRIKER ILLUSTRATES

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1970

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Length

302

Width

80

Description

BROWN CARDBOARD PAPER SCROLL WITH CRAYON DRAWING. PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ARE A PERCHED EAGLE, A SMALLER BIRD, A DEER, A STRETCHED HIDE, THREE HORSE'S HEADS, TWO HORSES, AND A MOUNTED NATIVE HUNTING A BUFFALO WITH BOW AND ARROW. SKETCHES ARE DONE IN BLACK AND BROWN. LEFT HAND SIDE OF SCROLL HAS STAINS FROM BEING SPLASHED, AND TOP RIGHT CORNER HAS SMALL RECTANGLE CUT OUT. CREASED IN PLACES FROM BEING CRUSHED WHEN ROLLED.

Subjects

INDIGENOUS

ART

Historical Association

EDUCATION

FINE ARTS

History

SCROLL WAS USED DURING STORYTELLING BY RUFUS GOODSTRIKER, IN AUNT DOROTHY'S PLAYHOUSE. DOROTHY GENTLEMAN, DONOR'S MOTHER, WAS BORN IN ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND IN 1905. HER FATHER WAS A SCOTTISH LAIRD (PARENTS: LAIRD PETER & JESSIE JAMIESON), WHO OWNED A GIRL'S SCHOOL. THE SCHOOL WAS USED AFTER WWI AS A HOSPITAL/RETREAT FOR INJURED BRITISH SOLDIERS TO GO TO RECUPERATE. THERE, DOROTHY WAS KNOWN AS 'LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD' BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS WORE A RED CAPE WHEN SHE WAS CALLED DOWN TO READ STORIES TO SOLDIERS AS THEY WERE DYING. IT WAS DOROTHY'S JOB TO HOLD THEIR HANDS UNTIL THEY DIED, AND TO WRITE TO SOLDIERS' FAMILIES (LETTERS DICTATED BY HER FATHER) ABOUT THEIR CONDITION. WHILE IN SCOTLAND, DOROTHY STUDIED JOURNALISM, PIANO, AND ORGAN. SHE CAME TO CANADA IN 1922 WITH HER PARENTS, TO RESIDE ON RODONO FARM NEAR ALIX, ALBERTA. SHE WAS MARRIED THERE IN 1928, TO WILLIAM DONALD "BILL" GENTLEMAN. SHE RESIDED MAINLY IN EDMONTON AND CALGARY, BEFORE HER 1944 MOVE TO LETHBRIDGE. AFTER HER HUSBAND PASSED AWAY WITHOUT INSURANCE, LEAVING DOROTHY AND HER FOUR CHILDREN WITHOUT FUNDS, DOROTHY FOUNDED AUNT DOROTHY'S PLAYHOUSE IN 1948. IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PRIVATE KINDERGARTENS IN THE CITY, MODELED AFTER THOSE IN THE 'OLD COUNTRY' (SCOTLAND). CHILDREN WORE UNIFORMS, AND HAD JACKETS WITH A SCHOOL CREST. DOROTHY TAUGHT FRENCH (INCLUDING FRENCH SONGS), GAVE TRAIN TRIPS, TAUGHT MUSIC (INCLUDING PIANO), SINGING AND DANCING, FINGER PAINTING, AND TOOK TRIPS AROUND THE TOWN. THE KINDERGARTEN WAS IN HER HOME AT 635-8TH STREET SOUTH. IT WAS INTERNATIONALLY REPUTED, AND REPRESENTED CANADA AT THE UNITED NATIONS (UNESCO) 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND THE FIRST PACIFIC AREA CONFERENCES OF THE WORLD ORGANIZATION ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. DOROTHY WAS CALLED IN AS AN OBSERVER-CONSULTANT OF THE U.S.A. HEADSTART MOVEMENT IN ITS FORMATIVE YEARS, WORKING MOSTLY IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. SHE WAS HONORED AS CANADA'S MOTHER OF THE YEAR IN 1961, AND WAS NOTED FOR MANY THINGS INCLUDING THE FACT THAT SHE LEARNED TO SPEAK MANDARIN AND LEARNED CHINESE CULTURE. AUNT DOROTHY'S PLAYHOUSE CLOSED IN 1973, AFTER DOROTHY RETIRED. DOROTHY GENTLEMAN PASSED AWAY IN OCTOBER 1980. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST, RUFUS GOODSTRIKER, WAS EXCERPTED FROM AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON THE COWBOY COUNTRY MAGAZINE WEBSITE. GOODSTRIKER (PII NA KIUM, "SEEN FROM AFAR") WAS BORN IN 1924 AND GREW UP ON THE BLOOD RESERVE, ATTENDING ST. PAUL'S RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL. GOODSTRIKER WAS A BOXER AND COWBOY, COMPETING IN A VARIETY OF EVENTS AND RODEO COMPETITIONS INCLUDING THE CALGARY STAMPEDE. HE ALSO BRED AND TRAINED RACE HORSES, AND SERVED IN THE CANADIAN MILITARY DURING WORLD WAR II. GOODSTRIKER WAS THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE CROSS BELL YOUTH CAMP, AND LATER IN HIS LIFE BECAME AN HERBALIST AND RESPECTED KAINAI SPIRITUAL HEALER. HE BECAME THE FIRST ELECTED CHIEF OF THE KAINAI NATION IN 1964, AND WAS FATHER TO 10 CHILDREN. RUFUS GOODSTRIKER DIED ON JUNE 30, 2003, AND IS BURIED ON THE BLOOD RESERVE. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPY OF SOURCE ARTICLE.

Catalogue Number

P19940049001

Acquisition Date

1994-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail